Lately I’ve been trying to get a hold of my publisher to pay a book editing fee that I owe. It’s just $100, but I have not yet been able to get through. The phone lines are always busy. Meanwhile they have been kind enough to send me two royalty checks totaling a combined $40, despite the money that I owe. I find this most generous of them.

I have also been doing my taxes, which I find to be a similar story. The federal and state governments have over the last year been deducting my wages in order to fill their pockets. In the course of time, and because of my income level vs. my witholding I generally get a refund out of this. This year the combined total should be somewhere around $400. Thus my tax payments were $400 over the limit.

Compare these two. The one, knowing that I owe them money, still pays the royalty checks every 3 months, while the other; if they ever knew or suspected that I had underpaid on my taxes would not give a cent. The legal scales are weighted in their favor on such matters, just as they are with my publisher. -Yet the one is a prominent and profitable book seller, while the other is an increasingly broke and destitute state. Why is this? Your thoughts please.

Does it exist? Is it in the Bible? These questions may seem trivial, but they have erious implications for theology.

Today it is preached almost to abandon that we have been given (and retain) a free will, and that this free will alone is what determines where we will spend eternity. Man must exercise an act of the will to be saved. The Bible says that we are “slaves of sin”(John and Romans) Does a slave retain free will to disobey the slave master, or must he be rescued? Does the Bible teach free will? Comments please and back it up.

The book of Revelation is an amazing book, although not too many people are understand it today. Rooted in the prophets and with allusions to every other book in the Bible. It’s truly amazing. You interpret this book through the rest of the Bible – interesting for theology. What do you think about the book of Revelation? Have you completed a personal study?

Yesterday I speculated. I posted a link to a CNN story which reported that the current Pope had approved the transfer of a sexually abusive priest while he was a cardinal. I asked “Did The Pope Know?”, and some of you commented on it. There was no proof to my allegation/inquiry, but I went ahead anyway. We do that too often I think. A story comes along, and instead of investigating to see whether the story is true, we condemn/dismiss out of hand. Or it becomes a gossip item -why is this? I did wrong by speculating without proof, and if this offended any of you I apologize. How do we get beyond speculation to the truth? Let me know.

Last night I watched the movie “Schindler’s List”. It’s not a movie that I’d recommend for the kids, given its nudity and language. As I was watching it though, it struck me how Biblical the main theme was. Oskar Schindler makes a list. Those who are on the list are saved from death in ovens or the gas chambers. It similar to the Book(Scroll) of Life in this. All the people found inside are saved. Everybody else is lost. Interesting movie.

So I have a question. Does Nigel Farage think insulting people will get them on his side? i just returned from www.nationalreview.com , site for a conservative opinion mag here in the States, and they had posted a video of Mr. Farage laying into the EU President. The poor President looked none too happy, and Nigel’s comments seemed downright mean. They didn’t tackle anything of substance, but reverted to personal attacks on the Belgian man. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the bloke. Did this man have anything to do with the original conception of the EU? Will personal attacks really change anything? Is Nigel’s behavior acceptable because they (the EU) won’t change course anyway? Is this the last mad protest against the boot? Your thoughts please.